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rstrucks
03-03-2012, 03:33 AM
Winches are on the front of most rigs here - so what do you like or dislike about yours? Winch cable or rope?

biggoofy
03-03-2012, 09:52 AM
Don't forget winching safety tips

96RedZJ
03-03-2012, 10:57 AM
Step fathers Warn M8000 does amazing. Has great pulling power. After hearing how it performed pulling a propane tanker out, and his truck, I know what winch ill be going with. The winch is mounted on a f450 with a utility bed and a crane.

http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv115/Redzj/030312094247.jpg

Steel City ZJ
03-03-2012, 12:38 PM
I have a Ramsey Patriot 9500UT. Unfortunately it's still sitting pretty in the box it was shipped in because I don't have a bumper :(. I haven't heard anything bad about them though. Warn is definitely tried and true. We run them in the front of all of our fire trucks. Usually in the 12K variety and almost never have issues with them. I notice a lot of complacency when people winch though, even from an experienced wincher like myself. Always remember to place something over the winch cable to dampen the recoil in case of a snap. Anything will work and it doesn't have to be heavy. Hoodies are my favorite as I usually have a couple in the Jeep. While winching bystanders should be clear of the area for the distance of the winch line. If using a corded remote make sure you are behind some sort of protection IE Jeep door. Don't count on the windshield to offer a ton of protection but it can provide some. While handling a winch cable it is always smart to wear gloves to protect from burs in the line or other things that could cut or hurt you. Always remember at a absolute minimum to leave three wraps on the winch drum though I suggest leaving the drum covered in one layer if possible. Those are all basics that everyone should know.

96JGCL
03-03-2012, 12:52 PM
Cant bitch about my HF Badlands 9000lb winch.

Surprisingly these don't sound like a box of rocks like the old ones, and the new clutch lever (vs the old clocking ring) is so much nicer. It's gotten me outta a few jams already and hasn't let me down.

black_zj
03-03-2012, 02:10 PM
I'm actually on the fence about buying one of the Badlands winches, this thread might help with deciding.

SirFuego
03-03-2012, 04:40 PM
Superwinch EPi9.0 running synthetic rope here. Very happy with it. I know quite a few others running the same with who would say the same. My favorite thing abut it is the fast line speed. They don't make it anymore, so I can't really comment on the current Superwinch models.

I ran both steel cable and synthetic rope -- and I much prefer synthetic. Besides the fact that synthetic is safer (less stretch and lighter, which means that if it does break, there is less mass flying around at a slower speed), I also find it much easier to work with on the trails (while I still like to use gloves, they really aren't "needed"). Synthetic is less durable than steel, so you do need to be more careful with it. If it gets muddy, the mud that gets stuck inside of the rope can act as small razors, so you do need to make sure to keep your rope clean after wheeling.

However, if it does break, you can splice it back together at the expense of a few feet of rope. Here are some good threads showing how you can splice synthetic together:
How to splice the end for a thimble/new hook (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=177074)
How to splice two ropes together (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=177344)

The best part about it is that you can splice them back together using things people typically have on the trails anyways.

To clean my synthetic rope, I usually just unspool it and run it through my hands in warm water, drain the water, do it again, and keep doing it until the water stays clear.

If you do switch to synthetic, you will also need a new fairlead and snatch block. Either of those things used previously with steel get gouged and can cut into the rope.

fluxcap
03-03-2012, 04:50 PM
I am currently looking at winches, and there are a plethera of +/-$300 winches out there and I am having trouble sorting out wich winch to avoid. A buddy of mine has a Champion that has lasted him through a lot of hard use so far. I have gotten mixed reviews about HF's Badlands and Smittybuilt. Any reviews on Engo?

How important is line speed? How about weight? Is the saved weight of having synthetic line worth the extea cost, especially in Colorado where you must be carefull not to damage it on rocks, etc?

SirFuego
03-03-2012, 05:23 PM
How important is line speed?
Honestly, for trail use, it's not important at all. I just find a faster line speed to be more convenient since re-spooling is much faster.

That said, if I raced Ultra4, I'd probably try to find the fastest winch possible.


How about weight?
Synthetic is significantly lighter. Our rigs are so heavy to begin with that I don't know that you will notice any major differences in the performance of the rig when it's spooled up.


Is the saved weight of having synthetic line worth the extea cost, especially in Colorado where you must be carefull not to damage it on rocks, etc?
IMO, yes, it's worth it -- but that's not to say that you need to change to synthetic immediately (or ever). It's not like synthetic will snap the second it touches a rock, either -- it's actually pretty durable. I've had some recoveries with the rope covered in mud, too, and it was fine. Unless you are doing something really stupid, synthetic usually only breaks after it has already started to show signs of wear. The wear usually results from lack of maintenance (which is why maintenance is more important than with steel). Most ropes come with a 10' protective sheeth that can be used to protect the line across wood, rocks, etc. Even a folded up towel can work, too. That said, even a properly maintained synthetic rope will eventually need replacement.

Safety and ease of use are the two main reasons for going synthetic. I've found steel to be a PITA on the trail -- not only lugging around the additional weight when unspooling it, but also the constant need to be very careful about how evenly it spools back up. You can be a bit more "sloppy" when re-spooling synthetic rope.

Steel is tried and true -- and due to it's durability and cost, it's still a great option. So if your budget is tight, you are perfectly fine staying with steel.

Steel City ZJ
03-03-2012, 06:12 PM
I've read good reviews about Engo. I don't know anyone with one though.

biggoofy
03-03-2012, 06:55 PM
I'll be ordering an Engo when I purchase a winch for my pos.

ajmorell
03-03-2012, 09:00 PM
I'll be ordering an Engo when I purchase a winch for my pos.

Me too, hard to beat that deal

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

TN_WJ
03-03-2012, 09:58 PM
I've had a Warn 8k on the front of my pile for about 5 years now, and have been very happy with it. It came with steel cable which eventually broke so for the last 3 years it's had 100' of Amsteel blue synthetic line on it.

It was already mentioned that rope usually comes with a protective sleeve to help with rocks, but it's a good idea to add a second sleeve to the line to cover the first couple of wraps around the drum to protect from the heat.

96JGCL
03-03-2012, 10:46 PM
The Engo 9K winch looks identical too the 9k lb Badlands winch. If it saves any, goto HF with a 20% off coupon and get a winch for 300.00 out the door.

Edit: all their winches look identical too badlands winches

cowboy63b
03-03-2012, 11:02 PM
i had a shittybuild with steel line first then swapped over to syn line, and other than breaking the engagement and freespool lever multiple times (witch smitty gladly replaced every time with no questions asked, and didnt ask for return on the old parts) and it sounding like a box of rocks, it was actually a good winch, and never failed me, i think mine was an 8k.

ajmorell
03-03-2012, 11:42 PM
The Engo 9K winch looks identical too the 9k lb Badlands winch. If it saves any, goto HF with a 20% off coupon and get a winch for 300.00 out the door.

Edit: all their winches look identical too badlands winches

Looks the same =/= same build quality

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

Sudz
03-04-2012, 11:46 AM
I run a Warn XD9000 with 100’ 5/16” Amsteel installed Sept ‘04

Note: winches mounted in ARB bull bars mount 'feet front' – this offsets (lowers) the center of the spool by 5/8” – i installed an offset hawse fairlead, it centers the rope in the fairlead opening – It was also necessary for me to clock the housing to get the control lever facing down (accessible)


Massive Multi-Winch Shootout
Eight Winches, Ten Tests, One Winner
By Robin Stover, Photography by Robin Stover
Four Wheeler, July, 2011

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/129_1107_massive_multi_winch_shootout/viewall.html#ixzz1oA6EkKxQ




Anyone running hydraulic?

Stealth Crawler ZJ
03-04-2012, 11:57 AM
I have heard that Engo is made/ designed by the former CEO of mile marker wich seems to be a good one according to some of the guys in my local wheeling club
I think I will be getting the ES9000 http://www.profendersuspension.com/ENGO-E9000S_p_44.html

also check this thread out.http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/129_1107_massive_multi_winch_shootout/viewall.html

Steel City ZJ
03-04-2012, 12:05 PM
Massive Multi-Winch Shootout
Eight Winches, Ten Tests, One Winner
By Robin Stover, Photography by Robin Stover
Four Wheeler, July, 2011

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techarticles/129_1107_massive_multi_winch_shootout/viewall.html#ixzz1oA6EkKxQ

I read that article a while ago. It's hard to imagine that it wasn't rigged with Warn being a big sponsor of the magazine and website.


I have heard that Engo is made/ designed by the former CEO of mile marker

I have also heard this.

Stealth Crawler ZJ
03-04-2012, 12:49 PM
not trying to say that warn is #1 cause from what I read the Engo still works and they broke the Warn!

96JGCL
03-04-2012, 08:14 PM
Looks the same =/= same build quality

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk


I know. I was moreso pointing out the fact of identical looks, identical specs and almost identical prices usually= same product, just different stickers.

96JGCL
03-04-2012, 08:19 PM
Anyone running hydraulic?

Good friend of mine runs a MileMarker 12k lb hydraulic winch. He absolutley loves it. Only issue is when its super cold out the valve is hard too turn.
!

PassRunnerZJ
03-04-2012, 11:44 PM
I have been running a Smittybuilt XRC8 for the last three years with steel cable. Budget at the time didn't have room for the 10k winch which I would have prefered, but I have been very happy with the XRC8. While I haven't had a lot of pulls with it, I did have a long pull of a CJ out of a mud trough and a WJ up a water fall in Moab, this one required another vehicle strapped to me to keep my ZJ from sliding forward and in the end both of us had to reverse while winching to get the WJ up. It took the abuse without issue. Also used it to take a garage down last fall.

When the steel line needs replaced, if ever, I will be going with synthetic to reduce the weight a bit.

Stealth Crawler ZJ
03-05-2012, 12:10 AM
Good friend of mine runs a MileMarker 12k lb hydraulic winch. He absolutley loves it. Only issue is when its super cold out the valve is hard too turn.
!

ditto.

another minus is that you can't run them w/out the engine

dyn0mitemat
03-05-2012, 12:38 AM
Just about everyone in my wheeling group has the xrc winches (8 & 10's, haven't seen any 12's on the trail yet) and like stated above, they do sound like they're going to take a dump right out of the box, but I've yet to see any failures with any of them.

I'll be going with an xrc8 (standard) when I get mine here shortly, the manager of our local 4wd hardware told me to get the extended warranty for it, he said he's had people bring controlers that they ran over and they just hand them a new one, plus it'll cover any other problems.

I'll be going with the standard xrc8, not the x20 (waterproof one) because I've seen enough on rigs here to make me feel confident that I don't need it (plus I avoid mud/water whenever posisble, I like rocks). And I'm going with steel cable because of cost and durability. People have been pulling steel cables for decades, it works fine IMO. Don't have to worry about sunlight degrading a steel cable lol

I've been through a few warn and ramsey (I think) winches on four wheelers I've owned, and I'll never give warn another dollar, and the ramsey wasn't anything impressive either compared to the $80 harbor freight one that replaced it

Sudz
03-05-2012, 09:43 AM
and I'll never give warn another dollarwhy not?

Sudz
03-05-2012, 10:02 AM
It's hard to imagine that it wasn't rigged with Warn being a big sponsor of the magazine and website.not surprised, big money talks.

Ken L
03-05-2012, 11:05 AM
I have an old Ramsey 8000# winch with wire cable. It's slow, but it's always worked. Would faster line speed be a benefit? Maybe. I've wheeled with people with Warn 8274s and their line speed is wicked fast, but in the end my Ramsey gets the stuck stuff unstuck just as well as the Warn does. The only issue is when pulling under power it's easy to run over the cable. Just have to stop once you're not stuck any more and unhook.

Ditto on all the safety stuff. I always wear gloves when winching and direct people to stay behind cover.

BigDaveZJ
03-05-2012, 03:19 PM
I need to get a winch on the ZJ, and thinking about one for the trailer too. Would probably cheap out a bit on the winch for the trailer, really would only use it to pull the M416 up on the deck and it's only 1500lbs. But if I ever had to pull a dead rig up the winch would be nice. Could use a rig with a winch and a snatch block too if I needed.

I've been leaning towards the M8000 for the ZJ, but unsure if it would be enough winch for the ZJ and M416 if we had them both.

BigClay
03-05-2012, 03:21 PM
What are the pros and cons to the inline winches and the traditional winches?

dyn0mitemat
03-05-2012, 06:56 PM
why not?

Spent big bucks on one and had it die on first pull, only to have warn tell me I'm SOL and they wouldn't warranty it. And I've seen too many die to feel comfortable running one

Stealth Crawler ZJ
03-09-2012, 10:28 AM
Whats the benefit / downside to and or min for pull capacity(gvwr)?
12k 10k 9.5k 9k 8.5 or 8k or less?

SirFuego
03-09-2012, 10:48 AM
General rules of thumb:
Winch capacity -- shoot for about 1.5-2 times the vehicle's loaded weight. So a 5000lb rig, should look for a 8000-10,000lb winch. I've seen 8k winches work just fine with a ZJ.

Rope/cable capacity -- Most ropes/cables supplied by manufacturers exceed the winch's capacity by a few thousand pounds. I run 5/16" synthetic rope (12.5k capacity, IIRC) on my 9k winch without issue. Although for synthetic, going to 3/8" certainly wouldn't hurt anything except perhaps make me run a shorter line to get it all to fit on the drum. You have the same issue going overkill with metal cable, but I'd imagine it'd have a bigger weight penalty.

Snatch block/tree saver/D-ring -- at least twice the winch capacity. In theory if your winch can pull 9000lbs, it can do about 18000lbs in a fully redirected pull -- which is the force the snatch block/tree saver/D-ring are going to see.

Basically, you want the winch itself to be the "weak" point. If a winch exceeds its capacity, it just quits pulling. If anything else exceeds its capacity, shit goes flying.

Also, keep in mind that more layers of rope/cable also means a lower capacity. Fully spooled up my 9k winch only has a 6.5k capacity, but has a 9k rating on the last (innermost) layer -- which is probably why most manufacturers suggest the use of a pulley block when exceeding 2/3 of the winch's capacity.